Guillermo Rougier, Ph.D.

Guillermo Rougier, Ph.D.

ProfessorDepartment of Anatomical Sciences & Neurobiology

Research Focus

The focus of Dr. Rougier’s research is the early evolution of mammals. Phylogeny, biogeography, and morphological transformations are the major topics being developed. Several sources of data are employed to gather information on past evolutionary history—prominent among them are fossils and embryos. A dynamic field program is carried on including fossil collection in Argentina and Mongolia.

Current Projects

During the past four years, most of the research projects were directed toward solving the interrelationships of very primitive groups of mammals, only distantly related to living forms. However, recent discoveries have permitted important advances with regard to the origin of marsupials and placentals.

Dr. Rougier has been extremely involved in fieldwork in several parts of the globe, including South America and three different locations in Asia. Masters students and Ph.D. Students have participated in these trips. These projects have served to expand the department’s student base through the recruitment of a Ph.D. student (Analia Forasiepi) from Argentina.

ROUGIER, G.W., J. R. WIBLE, R. M. D. BECK, and S. APESTEGUIA. The Miocene mammal Necrolestes demonstrates the survival of a Mesozoic nontherian lineage into the late Cenozoic of South America.PNAS 109:20053-20058, 2012.

GAETANO, L. and ROUGIER, G.W. 2012 First “amphilestid” from South America: a molariform from the Jurassic Cañadon Asfalto Formation, Patagonia, Argentina. Journal of Mammalian Evolution. DOI 10.107/s10914-012-9194-1. March 2012.

APESTEGUIA, S; R. GOMEZ and G.W. ROUGIER. 2012. A basal sphenodontian (Lepidosauria) from the Jurassic of Patagonia: New insights on the phylogeny and biogeography of Gondwanan rhynchocephalians. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 166:342-360. plus supplement.

GAETANO, L. and ROUGIER, G.W. 2011. New materials of Argentoconodon fariasorum (Mammaliaformes, Triconodontidae) from the Jurassic of Argentina and its bearing on triconodont phylogeny. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31(4):829-843.